Wide Awake and Ready!
1 Thessalonians
Wide Awake and Ready! Week 7
June 9, 2019 • Pastor Steve Pope
Growth Group Discussion Guide Week of June 9th Q: What bit of “good news” have you received lately? READ FIRST: I Thessalonians 3:6-13 Q: The good news included both their “faith and love.” Why were both important in order for this to be “good news?” Q: What does Paul mean when he says, “For now we live?” What does this reveal about the apostle’s heart? Q: In a time of harassment and persecution, what would it mean to “stand firm in the Lord?” How does “standing firm in the Lord” look today? Q: Paul prayed earnestly that the Lord might cause them to increase and overflow in love for one another “just as we do for you.” How would our church family look and act differently if this prayer were answered at Centerpoint? Q: Paul prays that God might make our hearts “blameless in holiness before our God at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” What might change in your life if this prayer were fully answered today? Sermon Devotional Wide Awake and Ready! Stand Your Ground! I Thessalonians 3:6-13 I always fill my coffee cup too full at Starbucks. When I add my usual dose of half-n-half, I judge the mixture of coffee and cream by it’s color. Then, when I pop the lid back on my beverage, a puddle forms around my cup. I’m the guy you see cleaning up his own mess with napkins from the dispenser. I guess it’s possible to have too much of a good thing after all. Is it possible to have too much love for God and people? Paul prays for the disciples in Thessalonica that their love would continually increase and overflow for God, the church, and everyone! The love of God is so powerful it even produces lives that are holy and blameless before God and people. We can so thoroughly overflow with love for God and others, that our love splashes onto those around us. When it comes to loving God, we can never have too much. See you Sunday! Pastor Steve
Wide Awake and Ready! Week 6
June 2, 2019 • Pastor Steve Pope
Wide Awake and Ready! I Thessalonians 2:17-3:5 It’s 9am Sunday morning, and after a long work-week, the sunshine arouses us from slumber. Before coffee, we look at one another across the pile of pillows and ask, “want to go to church this morning? I’m pretty tired.” With this confession, our decision is made. Another Sunday morning sabbatical from worship. If we wait until a sleepy Sunday morning to decide the day’s worship priorities, rest will be our foregone conclusion. Sleep it is! The great apostle desired to be with the Body of Christ “eagerly” and with “great desire.” (v. 17) If a way could be made to be with the church “face to face,” wild horses couldn’t drag him away. If we wait until Sunday morning to make our decision concerning worship attendance, the discussion will be submitted to the Tempter (3:5). The conviction of the importance of gathering with the church body for worship is an act of intense spiritual warfare! (2:18) A song written by Keith Green in the 70’s is more poignant today than ever before. Green wrote, “The world is sleeping in the dark, which the church just can’t fight, ‘cause it’s asleep in the light . . . Jesus rose from the dead, and you - you can’t even get out of bed!” Choose today to make worship an unbreakable commitment. If you don’t make this commitment today, the Tempter will lead you another direction on Sunday morning. Can’t wait to see you all! Pastor Steve
Wide Awake and Ready! - Week 4
May 19, 2019 • Pastor Steve Pope
Growth Group Discussion Guide Week of May 19th Q: Who was your most influential mentor? At work? At home? At church? READ FIRST: I Thessalonians 2:7-12 Q: Paul, Silas, and Timothy were bold and courageous witnesses. In what sense were they like a “nursing mother” to the Thessalonian Christians? Q: In what sense did they “impart” their lives to these new believers? What did they give? What was their motivation? What did they hope to accomplish? (v. 8) Q: What were the virtues modeled by Paul and friends? (v. 10) The three virtues sound similar, but how do they differ? Q: Does the use of the “father” imagery work for you? How where the like a father to these believers? (v. 11) Q: What is meant by the exhortation to “walk in a manner worthy of God? (v. 12) What specific characteristics of this “walk” do you think the apostle had in mind? Sermon Meditation for Sunday, May 19th Wide Awake and Ready! I Thessalonians 2:7-12 The beloved American folk song “Home, Home on the Range” promises a place “Where never is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.” This depicts life in Heaven far more accurately than life on the American plain. According to a Gallup poll published in mid-April, the discouraging word for today is that church attendance in America has steadily declined each year since 1999. Some who previously attended worship faithfully now only attend one to two Sundays a month. And many who used to “hop” from church to church have now hopped out of church altogether, with no intention of returning. While church attendance numbers have declined, there has been a corresponding increase in reported anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicide. As the nation’s heart shifts away from God and His word, reliance upon man-centered medications and solutions is producing only more despair and spiritual death. This should motivate us as true followers of Christ to; Share the gospel more passionately and frequently Never forsake gathering for worship Invest our lives in encouraging the young one’s to rise up in service to God’s Kingdom Pray like our nation’s future depends upon the church’s prayers (because it does) The final chapter of our nation’s history is now being written. Will the final chapter be one of increasing despair and self-destruction, or will it be a brand-new journey into America’s third great-awakening and rebirth? I guess the answer is up to each of us. Hope to see you on Sunday, Pastor Steve
Wide Awake and Ready! Week Three
May 12, 2019 • Pastor Steve Pope
Growth Group Discussion Guide Week of May 12th Q: What was one of your most memorable failures in junior or senior high? READ FIRST: I Thessalonians 2:1-8 Q: What rumors about Paul have been spread by his opposition? Does Paul sound reassuring to you? What concerns might linger? Q: From verses 1-12, what does “ethical evangelism” look like? What would its opposite look like? What do the images of being a “mother” (v. 7) and a father (v. 11) add to this picture? What do these images say about caring for your own children or for “young” believers? Q: How did the apostle Paul measure success? (v. 1) What form might the “strong opposition” have taken? (v. 2) What opposition do you face in sharing the gospel with lost friends and family? Q: Does a tendency to be a people-pleaser ever limit you in sharing the gospel? What might help you overcome this reluctance? Sermon Meditation for Sunday, May 12th Wide Awake and Ready! Part 3 "God Pleasers" READ: I Thessalonians 2:1-8 Paul and Silas were mightily used by God in the spread of the gospel. They didn’t preach to receive accolades or flattering words. They didn’t preach to build an audience. And they received no riches - only increasing levels of persecution; beatings, imprisonment and martyrdom were their constant companions. But they faithfully continued to preach “in season and out of season” that the lost might be reconciled to God. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It begins with the terrible news of mankind’s spiritually dead condition. This results in a natural bent toward selfishness and self-destruction. The good news is that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection offers the hope of new life and a permanent love-relationship with God. It’s really impossible to preach a clear and true gospel without offending the pride of men (Galatians 5:11). The gospel story begins with the confession of our sin-dead condition. It then breaks our will by moving us to accept Jesus’ full control over our days, decisions and our future destiny. Only the Holy Spirit can bring a man to realize his sin and admit his need for a Savior. Only a preacher who has died to any hope of pleasing men will be qualified to deliver the message. Only a man who has set his heart upon pleasing God only will be used by God to deliver His redemptive plan. Hope to see you this Sunday! Pastor Steve
Wide Awake and Ready! Week Two
May 5, 2019 • Pastor Luke Dailey
Luke’s Sermon Meditation for Sunday, May 5th: “I Thessalonians 1:6-10 "A life that testifies" It was Francis of Assisi that said "preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words." This phrase has been quoted over and over again throughout the centuries. Though it is a popular quote, it doesn't hold merit. The term preach means to boldly proclaim. That means that words are necessary. The gospel MUST be preached! God has given us His Word and we are to use our words to proclaim His. However, the heart of the quote by Francis of Assisi is powerful. He was calling his audience to not just say theological correct statements, but to actually live the gospel out. Obviously, this has to happen. If we have a gospel that is simply head knowledge, then it never transformed our hearts, and that's the goal of the gospel. Paul states this about the believers in Thessalonica: "For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." If the gospel has set us free our mouths will report it and our lives will reveal it. See you Sunday! Pastor Luke Growth Group Discussion Guide Week of May 5th Q: Which of your parents are you most like? As the years go by, do you find yourself becoming more and more like your parents? Is this a good thing? Why or why not? READ FIRST: I Thessalonians 1:6-10 Q: In what ways do you suppose the Christians in Thessolonica imitated Paul, Silas, and the Lord? Q: Without the benefit of cell phones or social media, the believers in Thessolonica became “an example to all the believers in Greece.” How do you think the word spread? Q: The literal word used in verse 8 means “to reverberate.” As folks were talking about the impact of the Thessalonian’s new found faith, what do you think might have been said? What would folks say about your faith? Q: What were the three markers of their faith that caught the attention of others in the city? (Read verses 9 & 10) How do each of these reveal their maturity in Christ?
Wide Awake and Ready - Week One
April 28, 2019 • Pastor Steve Pope
A New Series Wide Awake and Ready! I Thessalonians Life Hacks are simple strategies to make life flow more smoothly and efficiently. For instance, if you have smelly shoes, a few dry tea bags inside each shoe will absorb the odor! And did you know that a can of coca-cola will work to remove stains from toilets? Just pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let it sit overnight. The next morning wash the bowl with soapy water and voila! Stain-free toilet bowl. (This should probably serve as a warning against drinking the stuff). One of the Life Hacks that I recommend for removing the doldrums from daily living is simple; always have something to look forward to. An ice-cream night, coffee with a friend, or a trip out of town will work. When ruts develop or challenges rise up, take a moment to savor your upcoming moment. As our contentment grows, godliness increases. “For godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6:6) The event every true believer should long for brings powerful encouragement; the second coming of Jesus Christ. Talk about something to look forward to! When life is hard and troubles seem to multiply, Christians are commanded to “encourage each other with these words.” (I Thessalonians 4:18) “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (I Thessalonians 4:16, 17) Now there’s something to look forward to! Hope to see you this Sunday, Pastor Steve